Conversion chart for Oven temperatures: Celsius vs Fahrenheit and Gas Mark

If you’ve got a new as or electric oven that is in degrees Celsius and used to cooking in degrees Fahrenheit then you are probably needing a temperature calculator to work out the gas mark equivalent. Or it’s possible the recipe calls for a moderate oven, and you need to know what to heat the oven too.

So here are our conversion chart for oven temperatures:

Temperature Converter: Fahrenheit/Celsius

The below table is a rough guide only and not exact conversions (which are above) and different manufacturers and oven types do vary, so always refer to your cooker instruction book.

Fan assisted ovens are usually set at approximately 25 degrees Celsius (i.e. approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than others and cooking time is reduced by 10 minutes for every hour of cooking time.

The heat of an oven is important to cooking to the centre of the meat.

Fahrenheit to Celsius to Gas Mark easy temperature conversion table

You can refer to this quick glance table for an easy oven temp conversion guide, for gas mark to Celsius and the most common calculations: i.e. 400f in gas mark is 6 (and 200°C) and 180 in gas mark is 4.

How to Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius

As a rule of thumb Celsius is roughly half the Fahrenheit temperature, but the equation to convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius, you subtract 32 to the Fahrenheit temperature, multiply by 5, then divide by 9.

For example, to convert 400 degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius you would:

• 400 degrees Fahrenheit – 32 = 368
• 368 x 5 = 1840
• 1840 / 9 = 204.44

This is commonly rounded down to 200°C, but 400f to c is in effect 204.44°C

How to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit

To convert degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, it’s the same equation in reverse.

So you multiply degrees Celsius by 9, divide by 5, then add 32.

For example, to convert 200 degrees Celsius to Fahrenheit you would:

• 200 x 9 = 1800
• 1800 / 5 = 360
• 360 +32 = 392℉

But what about if you need 200c in gas mark? 

How to Convert Gas Mark

There isn’t a calculation for this and it’s better to refer to our table over. Commonly people want to know what 200 degrees in gas mark is, and it’s 6.

Why is the cooking temperature important?

It’s essential to cook food at the right temperature and for the correct length of time to kill any harmful bacteria. This is especially true for meat which has to cook all the way through so juices run clear. You should always check the advice and cooking instructions on food packaging and check the meat is cooked correctly as it may need longer if the oven is full.

This is why meat thermometers are popular and now inbuilt in high end modern ovens. Beef can be served rare, as the bacteria is on the outside surface of the meat. But when minced for making a burger or meatballs this can be spread inside the burger.

Fan ovens should be used at a lower temperature as they circulate hot air around the oven cavity, which results in quicker cooking.

How do Ovens cook?

This is done through a combination of three different heat transfer methods.

Convection (Fan Ovens)

This is standard for most eclectic ovens where the air is heated and travels over and through the food. It is why fan assisted ovens cook faster.

Radiant or direct heat

When the flames at the back of a gas oven or the element in an electric oven cook the food.

Conduction

This is where the heat travels through the shelf, into the baking tray/dish and then on into the food.